MSW@Denver is the CSWE accredited online Master of Social Work program from the top-20–ranked University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW). The 60-credit online advanced standing MSW can be completed in as few as 18 months - for students who have earned a Bachelor of Social Work. GRE scores are not required. Request information.

Arkansas, named after a Quapaw word, akakaze, which means “land of downriver people” is located in the Southern region of the United States. Arkansas is the 27th largest state in area as well as the 32nd most populous (1). The state capital and most populous city is Little Rock, with approximately 197,000 residents, and is located in the central area of Arkansas (2).

Arkansas is known as the “Natural State” because of its diverse geography, which includes the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains, the Arkansas Timberlands, the Mississippi River, and the Arkansas Delta. Furthermore, Arkansas has six national parks, 50 state parks, two-and-a half million acres of national forests, seven national scenic byways and three state scenic byways.

Interestingly enough, North Little Rock contains the nation’s largest municipal parks and the Ouachita National Forest is the oldest national forest in the South. Besides the natural aspects of the state, famous singer Johnny Cash was born in Kingsland and Wal-Mart was founded in Bentonville (3).

A Population in Need of Support

Almost 45 percent of the people in Arkansas live in rural areas, compared to only 19 percent of people in the US. In a state with less than 3 million people, more than half a million Arkansans live in areas of the state that have a shortage of primary medical care, dental and mental health workers according to the “State Health Assessment and Improvement Plan” conducted in 2013. Sixty-nine out of 75 counties in Arkansas are considered Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) for mental health practitioners (4).

Arkansas faces many social issues that are predicted to worsen in the upcoming years. Only 83 percent of Arkansans 25 years and over have finished high school or an equivalency exam, compared to 85 percent nationally (5). The median household income is only $40,531, which is less than the national average median household income of $53,046 (6). The poverty rate in Arkansas is 18.7 percent, compared to a national average of 14.0 percent (7).

Arkansas has a higher-than-average percentage of the population that is over age 65 (15.4 percent are over age 65; 14.1 percent is the national average) (8). It also has a higher-than average rate of youths entering foster care (5.4 per thousand children, whereas the national average rate is under 4 per thousand) and a higher-than-average child maltreatment rate (9).

Mental health and substance abuse are also problematic issues in the state. Arkansas has an above-average percentage of its population diagnosed with mental illness. 19.81 percent are diagnosed with mental illness and 5.07 percent are diagnosed with severe mental illness, whereas the national averages are 18.19 percent and 3.97 percent, respectively (10). Seventeen percent of the population has a disability (the national average is 12 percent), and overall, the state is ranked 48th out of 50 for health, meaning it is the state with the third worst health in the nation (11).

Do You Want to Study to Become a Social Worker in Arkansas?

Do you want to study in state to become a social worker? According the 2014 US News & World Report graduate school search for MSW programs, you have two options in state: the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, and the University of Arkansas in Little Rock. The University of Arkansas in Fayetteville’s School of Social Work is ranked higher than the program in Little Rock, but both schools offer opportunities to get your MSW (12). The program at Fayetteville offers a Masters in Social Work/Juris Doctor (MSW/JD) dual degree that is perfect for anyone who is interested in working with the criminal justice system (13). The program at Little Rock offers two MSW programs, one with a concentration in marriage and family therapy, and the other in gerontology (14).

Once you graduate, you will want to check into the National Health Service Corps loan forgiveness program (NHSC). This program rewards socials workers who can find work in a “Health Professional Shortage Area” (HPSA). Because 69 out of 75 counties in Arkansas are considered Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) for mental health practitioners, you have a better-than-average chance of finding a position that will qualify for the NHSC program (15).

Working in Arkansas: MSW Careers

Jobs in the field of social work are expected to increase in coming years, according to the 2010-2020 State of Arkansas occupational projections reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Positions for child, family and school social workers are anticipated to increase by 5.53 percent (16). Healthcare social work jobs should increase by 12.36 percent (17) and mental health and substance abuse social work positions by 9.78 percent (18).

The best paying social work positions in the state are in healthcare; healthcare social workers earn a median salary of $47,070. The median salary for a child, family or school social worker in Arkansas is $35,800, and mental health and substance abuse social workers are paid a median salary of $37,440. However, some parts of the state pay better than others. If you can find work around the Tennessee-Mississippi-Arkansas border, you will find the best paying jobs in the state (19).

Graduate School Search, Social Work Programs, 2014. US News and World Report. http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/search?spp=10&program=top-social-work-schools&name=&zip=Arkansas&program_rank=Any&sort=&sortdir=

Master’s of Social Work/Juris Doctor Dual Degree Program, 2014. University of Arkansas. http://socialwork.uark.edu/7965.php

About the MSW Program, 2014. University of Arkansas at Little Rock. http://ualr.edu/socialwork/msw/